After ACL Injury, Pittsburgh's Graham Nearly Back To 100 Percent

On his second carry, Pittsburgh running back Ray Graham gained 1 yard and fell to the turf beneath UConn linebacker Jory Johnson.

It was about 4 minutes into the game on Oct. 26, 2011 and Graham was finished. He was assisted off the field, punched the equipment table and retreated to the locker room at Heinz Field with a right knee injury in a game that the Panthers won 35-20.

"I was worried," Graham said Monday. "I was wondering what happened."

Graham tore his ACL and his season was over. One of the most dynamic players in the Big East would face months of rehabilitation.

When Pittsburgh visits UConn Friday night at Rentschler Field, the Huskies will see Graham at nearly 100 percent After months of steadily working himself into shape, Graham had a breakout performance last Saturday — 172 yards on 24 carries in a 29-26 triple-overtime loss to Notre Dame.

Graham, a senior from Elizabeth, N.J., has 794 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yard a carry. He gained 922 yards as a sophomore and had 958 yards in seven-plus games last year.

But returning from a major knee injury was no sure thing. Graham (5 feet 9, 190 pounds) developed into an impact runner because of his speed and deceptiveness, traits that could be tarnished by a serious knee injury.

So as Graham began training for his return, he and the Pittsburgh training staff were cautious. The Panthers changed coaches this year, with Paul Chryst hired after Todd Graham left for Arizona State, and the new staff preached patience to the running back.

"I worked real hard in the offseason and I was very determined to get out there, but I was also real smart," Graham said. "I knew my time would come, so you don't want to rush it, and you want to be patient with it. I think I did a good job with that."

Graham had just 14 carries for 71 yards in the first game before following with 19 and 24 carries. But he still seemed tentative hitting holes and it appeared he would lose playing to freshman Rushel Shell, who gained 96 yards on 18 carries in a loss to Louisville that dropped Pitt to 2-4 last month. Graham had just six carries in that game and Chryst admitted he would use both backs, saying he wasn't sure if Graham was completely back from his injury.

That question has been answered over the past three weeks, as Graham rushed for 74 yards in a win over Buffalo and 109 in a victory over Temple before his breakout effort against Notre Dame.

"I think it was a gradual thing," Graham said. "I think the more I played, the more confident I got. And as much as I felt like it was a mental thing, there were still things I couldn't do [physically]. ... Now, I feel good."

There was another issue involving Graham just two days before the Notre Dame game. Graham and teammates Devin Street and Lafayette Pitts were charged with assault and conspiracy in connection with an Oct. 21 incident and each received a summons to appear in court in January.

Chryst didn't suspend the players and told reporters Monday, "At this point, with the knowledge that we have and had at the time, we felt like it was the right thing to do. I feel really good."

Graham went on to have his best game of the season in what turned out to be a heartbreaking loss. Pittsburgh (4-5 overall, 1-3 in the Big East) proved it could play with the No 3 team in the country, but the Panthers ultimately lost.

"Although our record says 4-5, we're a much better team than that," Graham said. "Going against Notre Dame like that, it just shows we are talented and we can play with anybody in the country."